Technology

Five reasons why Apple’s iPhone will fail in Japan

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With Apple’s iPhone launching soon in Japan, and a lot of hot air on the blogs and in the press about why the iPhone will or won’t be a hit in Japan, it’s timely to take a look at the aspects of Apple’s iPhone. it was a flop in Japan, that country where feature-rich, multi-function cell phones are the norm, and paying the equivalent of $500 per phone isn’t unusual.

1. Carriers will kill the Apple iPhone in Japan. The Japanese market is literate with the corpses of failed foreign cell phones. Motorola’s smartphone is relegated to the back pages of catalogs, and the Blackberry isn’t even offered as a consumer device. Nokia has had limited success (or at least not outright failure) with SoftBank, but the Razr barely made an impact with DoCoMo, and doesn’t even bother. Apple’s iPhone will enter the Japan market in this shadow of death, and Apple’s insistence on doing a deal on its own terms will see carriers favor the more foldable Japanese makers.

2. Its foreign character will destroy the Apple iPhone in Japan. As noted above, foreign phones come to Japan to die. From a consumer standpoint, Apple’s iPhone will have to show that it understands the Japanese consumer, a consumer who likes the way their current phones work, who is used to a numeric keypad, and for whom alphanumeric input might even be a novelty, since the penetration of computers, not only at home but also at work, is quite low. Does Apple’s iPhone really understand the Japanese mobile phone consumer?

3. Nearly non-existent public Wi-Fi will kill off the Apple iPhone in Japan. One great thing about the iPhone is the seamless switch from WiFi to cellular networks. However, in Japan, public hotspots are a rarity, and the only option is often to steal from a private individual’s misconfigured home router. Most coffee shops and train stations don’t have Wi-Fi, so the Japanese iPhone user will stick with the slower and more expensive 3G network.

4. The keyboard will kill the Apple iPhone in Japan. As hinted above, almost all Japanese people are intimately familiar with their mobile phone keyboard, while few are regular typists. Not only that, but Japanese keyboards, instead of using the Western alphabet-based system (a key rotates via ABCabc etc.), use kana-based syllabic input, so keys rotate via from KA-KI-KU-KE-KO, for example). Japanese iPhone users will need to be able to type with one hand while hanging from a strap on a moving train, a task that the current iPhone keyboard simply isn’t up to.

5. No strap eyelets will kill the Apple iPhone in Japan. This is a bit silly, true, but it’s the little things that can make all the difference and illustrate that Steve Jobs understands the Japanese market. One way the Japanese express their individuality is to decorate their cell phone with straps; cute characters, screen cleaners, branded straps; Japanese people of all ages will want to do the same with their iPhone, and with no grommet on the current model, Apple denies them this option.

Given these factors above, it’s no wonder that Apple’s iPhone in Japan is destined to not be as successful as it was in the United States.

Business

Strategies for finding job search success in the new economy

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I read in the news that Apple announced that it sold more than five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch and to sweeten the demand for Apple products, more than 100 million devices have been updated with the latest operating systems. from Apple.

Apple’s success is a major indication that the Internet has taken over the new economy. The latest trend of using social media to find work has moved at dynamic speed. Savvy job seekers know they can’t rely solely on traditional means of searching for work.

Traditional job searching includes strategies such as looking through newspaper classified ads, looking through “help wanted” notices on bulletin boards, going to recruitment or employment agencies, and writing about job opportunities directly to the companies. All of these traditional forms of job searching involve an individual reacting to a job that has already been publicly offered.

Although traditional methods are still necessary, creative, knowledgeable and socially savvy internet job seekers will go one step further to stay ahead of their competition by creating an online presence to reach more potential employers. That’s because they know that more and more recruiters are using the web as a place to scout for talent and conduct employment background searches. This trend will increase over the years.

Here are 3 ways you can use social media to improve your job search success:

1) Build your online presence on social networking sites.

Make it easy for employers to find you online and thus open the doors to more job opportunities. Without an online presence, you won’t appear to be as relevant as those who have one and will be overlooked by more savvy applicants who have online visibility. Creating an online presence includes

  • LinkedIn – A networking tool for professional connections. It is also used to recommend job candidates, industry experts, and business partners. Employers use LinkedIn as a search tool to find talent and job seekers use it to leverage their network in support of their search.
  • Twitter: Social network and instant messaging that allows users to post 140-character updates. The employer can use Twitter to post job opportunities.
  • Facebook: A social network that connects people, to keep up with friends and share ideas. Depending on their level of privacy, some job seekers have successfully landed a job through their Facebook network.

2) Create a blog to demonstrate your expertise

Another great way to further boost your image and demonstrate your experience, knowledge, and passion in a particular field is to create an up-to-date blog. Keep it professional, creative, and update it with value-added content for readers. The articles you post may include tips and advice on topics in your area of ​​expertise, also keep in mind that anything you write and post online is subject to judgment.

3) YouTube and Pinterest Marketing

Internet-savvy job seekers are making use of video marketing to promote themselves. This is a creative approach to job hunting that has become increasingly common in the realm of social media. You can create a video resume, such as a short, traditional video that includes an overview of your work experience, education, and skills.

Although Pinterest is not a networking platform, since it does not allow direct communication, it is becoming increasingly popular among businesses. It’s a powerful tool for demonstrating your knowledge, organizational skills, and creativity to potential employers. You can create boards that relate to specific skill sets you have and use them as a portal to link to the work you want to showcase, like an online portfolio.

4) Online resume

In the new economy, the way employers review resumes has changed, the Internet has also made it possible for job seekers to post their resumes online, on their own hosted websites. This change is particularly useful for those individuals whose resume presentation will be greatly enhanced by being able to take advantage of the graphical and interactive capabilities that an online resume on a personal website can provide.

Simply put, in these times, a paper resume is not enough. Being creative is essential, and a well-designed electronic or online version of your resume combined and linked to a strong social media profile is often ideal for a successful job search.

Home Kitchen

Cuckoo Clocks for NTP Servers: Precision Timekeeping

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The clock in its form that we recognize today has been around since the mid-14th century. Before that, measuring the passage of time had always been a tricky business, since the movement of the sun was the only reliable method of measuring time, and the only clocks were crude sundials or water clocks.

When the first mechanical watches appeared, they were driven by a spring and weight, regulated by an edge-and-foliot escapement, a type of gear system that advances the gear train at regular intervals or ‘ticks’. Not only the clock ticking comes from these original devices, but also the familiar clock face was developed.

The first clock to use a minute hand appeared in 1475 and innovations such as the pendulum were added, making mechanical clocks increasingly accurate. Shapes, designs and all kinds of bells, alarms and figures of automata were added to the clocks to make them more attractive, the most famous being the unmistakable cuckoo clock that appeared at the end of the 18th century.

The next big step in watch development didn’t happen until the 20th century and the development of electronics, when it was noticed that electrical charges running through crystals, such as quartz, caused the crystals to resonate at a precise rate.

These digital watches could use the traditional watch face of mechanical watches, but could also replace it with a digital display that showed the time in numbers.

Although digital clocks were more accurate than mechanical clocks, an even greater step toward precision was taken with the discovery of atomic clocks.

Atomic clocks work on the principle that the cesium-133 atom has an exact resonance every second (about more than 9 billion per second). This makes atomic clocks very accurate; in fact, they are even more precise than the rotation of the Earth that the GMT (Greenwich Meantime) national time scale used to determine noon. Another time scale has been developed, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) which is based on GMT but allows the Earth to slow down its rotation by adding ‘leap seconds’.

Computer networks use the time from atomic clocks by receiving a specialized transmission of the time via radio waves, the GPS network or via the Internet and can synchronize their networks with this UTC time using NTP (Network Time Protocol), a protocol designed specifically for synchronization. .

Ethernet clocks can be connected to computer networks running NTP and can display exact time as indicated by an atomic clock and display it on a wall or desktop. Other analog and digital wall clocks can also receive a transmission directly from an absolute time source via radio waves and display UTC time that way.

Digital Marketing

Web building sites

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Website building sites are a great resource to help get your message across the web. There are many advantages to accepting this free offer. Websites will try to invite you to upgrade to the paid version, but this is a waste of money in my opinion.

One of the web building sites is Weeby. There they say that you can create a free website and blog. The service has easy drag and drop. Easy to create with no technical knowledge required. Many professional designs. They say free domain hosting, but this is if you use their web.weebly.com end. If you want your own domain, it will cost you $40 per year. They force you to have a banner on top. This really wastes a lot of real estate.

Website building sites with free design templates are available on the web and one is Wix. It uses flash as the technology to create the websites. This one is quite complicated and rigid. You will have to overcome your limitations.

The creation of websites called webs has great potential. Easy registration process. Fill in the website address, title, and category. You will then see a preview, at which point you will get a recommended pages setup that you can uncheck the ones you don’t want. The additional pages you can add are the web store, which of course is a user-friendly online store. The location web page is very useful if you have a standard business so that people can easily find your location. A calendar page can be added to let people know about upcoming events. Links, members, news, guestbook and FAQ are also available. All this allows you to create a very attractive website in a short period of time. The free version has some drawbacks that you should be aware of. There will be annoying ads on your creation, no support, domain ends in .webs.com, bandwidth is 100MB, web storage is 40MB. If you can include videos, you are limited to 30 minutes. No Google AdWords credit, limited to 20 pages and basic templates.

Ezweb123 has many web building sites. There are many templates for personal, professional, club and group use. With this service you can create basic pages in seconds. With just one click you can change the content very easily. Modify by clicking and dragging or changing the settings in the panel for precise numbering. This site is very easy and comfortable, but limited in originality.

WordPress is the best of both worlds. There is a free version very similar to these, but a better option is to create your own site. Get a domain for around $10 per year and host it with a hosting company for $10 per month. The advantage is that hosting does not cost more for 20 sites than for one. This is usually around $10 per month. You can buy as many domains as you want and add them to your hosting service. Most hosting companies have WordPress as an option on their site. These sites are completely under your control and there are plenty of themes and widgets to make the site look and work the way you want. You can even create your own if you need to.

Free websites are available all over the web, but they have some real drawbacks. Paying money for extra features can really cost you. Your own website is a much better solution.

Relationship

Children’s fashion: a new era of fashion

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Children’s fashion in today’s world is taken much more seriously than in years past. Today’s children are much more curious, intellectual and scientific. As a result of the modern child being much more self and fashion conscious, children’s fashion has taken off into a new era as children are more up to date with modern fashion trends.

Gone are the days when mom or dad would go to the store and buy a plain white T-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans that looked outdated, take them home, and be greeted with a grateful, golden smile from their son or daughter. In these modern times, children have become fashion freaks. They know all the latest trends better than adults. Just taking a short walk down the street is the evidence that supports this fact.

Most parents in these modern times would not allow their children to be trapped in a white t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans that look outdated. Indeed, times have changed. It is certainly obvious that young parents have passed on their modern style to their children.

Many parents feverishly search online for particular brands of fashionable clothing for their children on a daily basis. From the newborn stage to their teens, children are taught, both directly and indirectly, about new styles and fashion trends on a daily basis.

However, many children join the children’s fashion boom on their own without the help of mom or dad. When children are old enough to understand everything about fashion, they become more fashion conscious and observant of what is going on around them. They see their friends wearing particular types of clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories and crave these items as a way to feel accepted and part of the crowd. The children will then try to convince their parents to buy these same items.

Unlike in the past, people are now more daring in what they wear. The boldest and brightest colored clothing in thousands of available styles is the modern way to do it. Kids these days have an eye for style, so for most of them, perfectly matching clothing and accessories is the desired way to dress.

A major influence in terms of desired clothing for children today are modern age cartoon characters and new age animation, which are heavily advertised and advertised by all kinds of media. Children automatically want to be part of the excitement. Therefore, some children prefer fashions that portray these characters.

The bottom line is that whether a child is a baby, toddler or teenager, young parents and adult children prefer to stay in tune with modern fashion trends in order to feel accepted and look exceptional.

Health Fitness

Top 8 Workout Tips To Get The Toned Beach Body You Deserve!

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Here are the top tips that can help you speed up your progress in getting your body toned.

Tips 1

Perform weight training with control speed for the best result. Try not to rush your weight training. Doing weight training slowly with proper techniques will allow for better muscle contraction and gain more muscle mass.

tips 2

When you are doing weight training, remember to contract and feel your muscles contract.

Tips 3

When you’re doing squats, remember that your legs should be shoulder-width apart and facing forward. When performing the action, keep in mind that the knees should not be further than the toes, as it can cause strain on the knees.

Tips 4

Do a light warm up before any exercise. This will help loosen up your muscles for activities. It will also help prevent muscle cramps and injuries.

Tips 5

Take note of your exercise posture. A good posture will help speed up the result and prevent unwanted injuries. Always keep your body upright and your knees slightly bent when doing any exercise.

Tips 6

Never hold your breath when you are exercising. Always exhale when you are making the effort and inhale when you are letting go.

Tips 7

Drink enough water to prevent dehydration. Dehydration will cause muscle cramps and reduce blood circulation for exercise. Try to drink sips of water after each set of exercises.

Tips 8

During aerobic exercises, try to include more types of interval training that help increase your metabolic rate. Instead of the boring 1-hour jog, you can cut it short by doing a 20-minute sprint-jog interval.

Here are the most important exercise tips that can give you a beach-worthy body. Keep these exercise tips in mind as you head into your next exercise routine.

Lifestyle Fashion

June Gloom got you down?

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What’s up with this June Gloom? Is everyone experiencing it or just us Californians? It seems like she’s never going away and I’m trying not to let her get me down. It comes at the strangest time of the year for me, just when you’re really enjoying the amazing spring sunshine and getting ready for those hot summer days. It’s crazy! It’s like you’re suddenly pulling out pieces from your winter wardrobe that you put away once spring came around. It definitely doesn’t make sense to keep wearing those fabulous sandals and flip-flops you just bought when it’s raining outside. I just don’t get it, so I decided to do some research on this June Gloom and find out the facts.

According to Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia), June Gloom (also May Gray) is a California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy skies with mild temperatures in late spring and early summer. The condition is prevalent in many parts of the world where marine stratus or stratocumulus clouds are common, particularly off the western coasts of the continents, especially off Peru, Namibia, Western Australia, and California. Such cloud systems are persistent year-round off the coast, but in certain seasons they blow inshore and create the gloomy “May Grey” effect on land. The June Gloom phenomenon has also been known to occur in early fall in California.

The early morning hours during this period are usually cloudy, with an occasional drizzle. Fog turns to low clouds in the late morning and early afternoon. Finally, in the late afternoon, the solar heat is enough to evaporate the clouds. Often the cloud cover will evaporate (“burn”) quickly inland but remain along the immediate coast.

In California, the number of days from May to June that are gloomy varies from year to year. Cooler ocean temperatures, associated with La Niña, generally herald a grayer period.

Some Californians have reported that June Gloom causes symptoms consistent with seasonal affective disorder. It is often cited as a time of depression. Did you know that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health for most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year? The US National Library of Medicine notes that “some people experience a severe mood swing when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have low energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed.” Although the symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up.” The condition in the summer is often known as reverse seasonal affective disorder and can also include increased anxiety. There are many different treatments for the classic (winterbased on seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy with bright lights, antidepressant medication, ionized air administration, cognitive behavioral therapy, and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin.

So if this June Gloom has you down, you’re not alone. This weather seems to make me feel like I’m hibernating. Thank goodness she’ll only be here for a short time and then we’ll be off to our sunny summer.

Real Estate

Fair Housing Act – Service/Emotional Support Animals

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My last post, Service Animals/Emotional Support Animals: What You Need to Know, discussed the fact that if you own rental properties, you need to be aware of the laws around service and emotional support animals. We cover the rules set forth by the ADA, but there are 2 agencies that create regulations regarding these animals:

  1. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  2. The Fair Housing Act (FHA)

Here we will discuss the additional laws established by the FHA. Please note that ADA covers commercial areas where FHA covers residential areas. Also, the ADA does not cover emotional support animals, but the FHA does.

The Fair Housing Act – protects tenants from landlord discrimination. Prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or persons with disabilities.

Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988:


  • Assistance Animal: An animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks on behalf of a person with a disability or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
  • a service animal does not have to be individually trained or certified
  • once a service animal is approved, the landlord cannot collect any fees or deposits associated with the pet
  • the landlord may not impose breed or weight restrictions on an assistance animal

What you may require:

  • the prospect or resident must have a disability within the meaning of the Fair Housing Act
  • there must be a need related to the animal’s disability

Allowed problems:

  • Is the disability apparent or known?
  • Is the need related to the animal’s disability apparent or known?
  • If both the disability and the disability-related need of the animal are apparent and known, you may not ask any further questions and may not require any additional verification or documentation.
  • If the disability is not apparent or known, you may request reliable documentation of the disability and disability-related need for the service animal.

For emotional support animals, you may request documentation from a physician, psychiatrist, social worker, or other mental health professional that the animal provides emotional support that alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms or effects of an existing disability.

You may deny an accommodation request when:

  • would cause undue financial hardship to the property
  • would create an administrative burden on the property
  • the specific animal would be a direct threat to the property or would cause substantial physical damage to the property
  • if there is insufficient verification when the disability is not apparent

The potential client/tenant can request your animal from you in almost any way, even something as simple as writing their request on a sticky note. There is no formal application form and you cannot require them to use one that you create.

Your next step is to request that the doctor or medical provider provide written verification. Again, you don’t have to be on a specific form. You must accept third-party verification that the applicant has a disability within the reliable meaning of the Fair Housing Act and that there is a disability-related need for the animal.

Without sufficient verification, the applicant may be denied. And, be warned, there are many sites online that provide certifications without requiring any disability verification.

How the ADA and FHAA are different:

  • The ADA applies to areas of public accommodation. It does not apply to areas of the property that are not open to the general public. (ie, service animals must be allowed into the leasing office).
  • FHAA applies to the entire property. (Qualified service and emotional support animals must be allowed to live in your rental property.)

Most of your concern as a landlord will relate to the regulations set forth by the FHAA.

Wow, there’s a lot in those 2 messages. What has been your experience with service animals?

As I mentioned in the last post, this topic was discussed at our HOA Meeting. If you have any further questions or need legal assistance on this matter, please contact our speaker, Attorney Sean Doyle, [email protected], 919-256-4295.

Shopping Product Reviews

20 Small Business Survival Strategies

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How to survive tough economic times without laying off employees.

As a business owner or manager, over the past 18 months you have been faced with shrinking profit margins and fewer customers lining up to buy what were previously considered “sexy products or services.” The question of how to survive these seemingly difficult times often leads to answers like… “we need to lay off more workers” or “… let’s close the office located in Suburbia.”

The problem with this approach is… when the economy picks up, you’ll be looking to rehire the same people you fired in the first place. Unfortunately, you may find that they have moved on to other jobs, gone back to school, or started their own businesses. So you’ve put yourself in a situation where you now have to hire and train a new employee or hire a more experienced worker who can “hit the job.”

Laying off employees during economic downturns should be a “last resort.” Well, at least not until you’ve explored all other avenues, that is, trying the strategies I’ve outlined below. I will even go a step further. If you’ve already implemented some (if not all) of these strategies, or made them an integral part of your company’s operating culture, chances are you haven’t canceled your long-planned vacation to the Bahamas.

Also, while these key strategies can be adopted by companies regardless of their size, they are primarily targeted at small businesses. The definition of a small business will obviously vary by industry and, more importantly, may depend on the personal assessment of the business owner. However, you can find out how your business classifies as defined by the Small Business Association (SBA) by visiting http://www.sba.gov

survival strategies

1. Schedule weekly budget meetings. The assumption is that you have a budget. You might be surprised how many small businesses (a) don’t spend the time developing a proper budget or (b) don’t have a regular budget review process. Use the meeting to challenge managers and supervisors to find ways to reduce expenses in their respective departments (and reward them). Have managers call via conference calls if you have satellite offices in various parts of the country or around the world. Make sure they are prepared with arguments to justify the budgets of their various departments and plans for how to reduce costs.

2. Establish an Earnings Committee/Workgroup. This must be employee driven. Challenge them to contribute ideas, but more importantly, reward them for good ideas that actually get implemented.

3. Refresh your performance reviews. Are the objectives of the employees (especially senior managers) aligned with the objectives of the company (ie increase sales, reduce expenses, improve customer service)? Are the goals more than just rhetoric or “feel good” words? In a nutshell, are the goals specific enough and…can progress really be “MEASURED”?

4. Review your “Billing” rates. Profits are quickly consumed by idle inventory and late paying customers. Incorporate these items as part of your budget review process. Work closely with your vendors to reduce box packs, or just get rid of items that don’t sell! Offer to settle your delinquent customers or arrange for payment in installments of outstanding accounts receivable. Getting something is better than nothing in tough economic times.

5. Trust the influence you have with your suppliers. Partnerships must be about more than “talk.” Negotiate better conditions, that is, try to increase the “days to pay” of your invoices. Even taking 5 extra days per month on a business basis worth $1 million per year can earn your business more than $3,000 in additional interest, after taxes. That’s real money!

6. Change your Payroll Cycle. If you are on a weekly pay cycle, consider moving to bi-weekly. If you are paying biweekly, consider moving to biweekly (15 and 30). Do a cost-benefit analysis to make sure this makes sense for your business. You can reduce payroll processing costs which can be significant, especially if you have a fairly large employee base.

7. Get on the “green” bandwagon early. Be more energy efficient. Who knows… you may even qualify for tax breaks. Get employees in the habit of turning off lights when leaving conference rooms. Installing sensors for infrequently used rooms or areas may be something to think about. Turn off computers and unplug office equipment at the end of each day. According to the government’s ENERGY STAR program, 40% of the electricity used by household electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. I imagine this applies to office equipment as well.

8. Meet with your banker. Set up a meeting right away. You’ll not only build a critical relationship (one that many managers neglect), but you’ll also ask them for ideas. They have the advantage of seeing what works (or doesn’t) for other companies, so feel free to pick their brains. Best of all… it’s free advice! Discuss things like…putting extra money into money market accounts, CDs, etc. See if you can move your trading account to an interest-bearing checking account. While the interest earned may not be “world-changing,” it’s still money earned without doing anything different. If there is a limit to the number of checks that can be written on that account, look into the fees the bank may charge vs. the interest that can be earned. Pay bills electronically and offer direct deposit to your employees to reduce check writing fees. Also, do you have too high a balance in your checking account? Work with your accountant and take a look at your cash flow to see if some of that idle money can earn interest elsewhere.

9. Cut your travel budget (if you still have one). Phone and/or video conferencing will save you tons of cash. Also, are the seminars and conferences you attend every year really paying off? Maybe attending 2 instead of 4 will get the same benefits.

10. Renegotiate contracts. Bring in service providers (phone, software, etc.) and consultants to discuss current contracts and reduce rates. Take a look at your lease agreements (office equipment, rent, etc.). Also, are you taking full advantage of “hidden deals” and/or discounts? Have you been paying attention to bills in an effort to avoid “overcharging”? Take advantage of the economic downturn. Nobody wants to lose a customer right now. Where applicable, invite other vendors to bid on your business. Attention: do not buy them simply because they are cheap!

11. Fiscal strategies. If you invest heavily in equipment and are incurring high business equipment taxes Explore states with business-friendly tax codes. There are benefits to establishing an “equipment cargo” business in a low-tax state. Business losses and cancellations can also qualify your business for various tax exemptions and deductions. Talk to a good tax attorney about how to maximize these and other tax deductions for your business.

12. Budget for “reserves”. In other words, have a “contingency” or “miscellaneous” account as a line item in your budget. A good starting point would be to reserve 5-10% of all your total expenses for unforeseen circumstances. Keep in mind that if we could predict the future, we would all be millionaires. Incorporating the “reserve” account as an “expense” item is just good business policy.

13. Look at your health insurance benefits. If you haven’t talked to your insurance representative in a while, now would be a good time. Still, you should review your policy every six months. A slight change in the level of your workforce can have a significant impact on the employer (and the employee). Are you about to renew your contract? Can the contract be terminated without incurring costs? You may be able to find a great deal without sacrificing coverage.

14. Conduct annual invoice audits. Take a close look at the invoices received from your suppliers. If you don’t have a good system for monitoring invoices before they’re paid, you’ll be surprised how many duplicate or erroneous payments can occur. An extra “0” added to a $1,000 invoice results in a $10,000 payment and a $9,000 error. Incentivize your employees when they discover these errors. For example, if they get money back, split it with them. It’s a “win-win” deal!

15. Go after abandoned customers. If a competitor closed its doors, that should mean “OPPORTUNITY.” The client may be cutting back, but when things pick up or he finds a new job, he’ll be back. You’ll want to make sure you’re well positioned to fill the void left by your competitor.

16. Explore new sales markets. Oddly enough, an economic downturn is the perfect time to look for opportunities in new markets. Territories that were once shunned (especially abroad) now deserve a second or third look. Once again, get ideas from your employees.

17. Stay involved in your community. Don’t reduce your sponsorship of community events and charitable giving. The money spent on minor league baseball team uniforms is a “big deal.” People remember these things. Those people are potential customers or good referral sources. It’s actually worth a lot more than the tons of money you spent on the sign at your local Major League Baseball stadium. You know… the one that nobody notices!

18. Do you tweet? Do you have a presence on social media? Yes, I mean Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. Are your employees set up on LinkedIn? Even if you’re a “mom and pop” type of company, consider paying one of your tech-savvy employees an extra 15 or 20 cents a week to post updates and monitor these sites for you if you don’t have the “know-how.”

19. Part-time and independent contractors. Before considering layoff, explore the possibility of reducing hours or changing an employee’s status to “Independent Contractor.” Employees will still appreciate having an income while saving money on payroll taxes and/or health insurance contributions that you were required to pay.

20. Finally…be honest with the employees. Do not tell them that things are going well today and that tomorrow you start firing. On the other hand, if things are really difficult, let him know. If you build an honest relationship and take the time to let them know how much you appreciate their effort, they will “go bat” for you during the tough times. If you have to resort to firing them, they will understand even if it hurts. Chances are, if you’ve implemented the other 19 strategies she mentioned and made them an integral part of your company culture, your employees will be the ones keeping your company from sinking into an economic downturn.

Sports

2008 New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss wins first OT Bowl game of the year, stops Troy in thriller

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New Orleans is an exciting place to drink and dance, a city that takes Mardi Gras very seriously, and now the city that Creole cuisine and jazz built has its own bowling alley to add even more excitement thanks to a few uniforms. rowdy and south of Mississippi.

The Golden Eagles got off to an inauspicious start and a fantastic finish by winning the first overtime game of the bowl season, a crazy, crazy, wonderful 30-27 comeback win over Troy in the New Orleans Bowl on Sunday (21- 12-08).

For the opener, the Southern Miss players showed up to play in gold uniforms, defying orders to wear white jerseys as the designated visiting team; they were sanctioned with the loss of a time-out for their impertinence.

They made a false start while lining up for their first offensive play.

Two plays later, the Trojans took a 7–0 lead with a defensive touchdown run when Jorrick Calvin knocked down a lateral, picked it up, and ran 17 yards on a fumble return.

Now you might think Southern Miss was in deep trouble right now, but that would be underestimating a team that went on a 5-game losing streak earlier in the season, dropping its record to 2-6. The Golden Eagles then get 4 straight wins to qualify for a bowl game.

The Troy Trojans won the Sun Belt Conference title and led 27-17 following Jerrel Jernigan’s 6-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, but Southern Miss was just beginning to work its magic. Quarterback Austin Davis grounded on 4 and 2 and threw a 35-yard TD pass to tight end Jonathan Massey with 7:20 remaining in regulation.

Britt Barefoot, a big name for a kicker, would go on to make his second field goal of the game, a 46-yard kick with less than 3 minutes remaining to send the game into overtime, the first overtime game of the bowling season. of 2008.

The Trojans then held Southern Miss to a 39-yard field goal by Britt Barefoot on the Golden Eagles’ first possession in overtime, which proved to be enough for the win when Michael McGee blocked the 28-yard field goal attempt. Troy yards to tie the game. The Southern Miss sideline and fans exploded with mixed emotions: joy and happiness.

The victory was Larry Fedora’s first bowl game as South Mississippi’s head coach, and the Golden Eagles’ third New Orleans Bowl victory in 3 appearances.

Even more important, the win was the fifth straight for Southern Miss, which needed the first 4 to qualify for the bowl game and the last to extend the school’s streak of consecutive winning seasons to 15. Imagine, 15 consecutive winning seasons, a record that very few teams could match.

Southern Miss finished the season with a 7-6 record; Troy had to settle for an 8-5 record.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley